


Bittersweet Love Story About a Girl

by DollHouseActive



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26522155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollHouseActive/pseuds/DollHouseActive
Summary: Luke hears part of Perfect Harmony and wants to hear all of it. Drama ensues.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, background Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 678
Collections: Kelly's Picks





	Bittersweet Love Story About a Girl

Sitting in the garage after school, Julie started absentmindedly playing the melody to 'Perfect Harmony'. Her mind was elsewhere but like all of her music until it was a fully realized song it wouldn't leave her head. This song in particular though she was keeping to herself because that was wayyyyy too personal to share with the band. 

The band, or at least Luke, chose that moment to pop back in. He poofed behind her at the piano almost like the first time he heard her play. He always loved her song ideas and music but this song sounded slower and more like a love song than their usual rock anthems. They could use some variety in their line up so he was intrigued by what she was playing. As much as he wished otherwise, he was pretty sure this song was about lover boy from school. He got over that moment of longing and poofed onto the bench beside her. 

“Ahh, I told you to stop doing that! Can you get a bell or something? I need some warning.” This was an argument and almost joke that they had going on at this point so there was little to no heat in her tone. He smiled and bumped her with his shoulder because hey, that's something he can do now. 

“So that sounds like a killer love song you have going on there,” he hedged, trying to prompt her to explain and maybe play more of the song. Instead of either of those things, Julie blushed and mumbled something about how she was just playing around with a tune. 

“It's not a big deal that it's about what's-his-name from school. If it makes for good music, it doesn't matter who the inspiration is.” Luke mostly meant that sentiment too, if it makes good music then where it came from isn't a big deal. The issue was that he and Julie seemed like they had a thing, a completely impossible thing but there was still something there. Guess it was all in his head and that their musical chemistry in the studio and on stage seemed like more than it was. 

“It's weird to talk about. Can we work on a different song?” Julie seemed pretty intent on changing the subject but the music was what mattered and Luke with a song idea was pretty impossible to deter. 

“It doesn't have to be weird. We're friends, right?” Luke asked trying to use puppy dog eyes to get her to laugh and talk with him. 

“Yea, we're friends but we're not talk about who I like friends. Drop it.” Julie said that last bit firmly enough that Luke let it go. For the moment anyways. 

The rest of the band showed up not too long after and they started rehearsing a set list for an upcoming gig. It wasn't the Orpheum but hey, you get a fan base from all sorts of places. The music was flowing as freely and naturally as it ever did but it seemed like Julie was doing that thing again where she tried to avoid eye contact with him as much as she could without it being super obvious and hurtful. As much as he didn't want to make a big deal of it, their performances were just better when he and Julie were vibing. 

Once sound check was over, Luke told the guys to go ahead and pop on over to the venue and that he would be over shortly. He stalled awkwardly for a second until he realized her dad would be here shortly to take her to the show. 

“Ok so we gotta talk about this,” he started. 

“No, we don't. I told you to drop it. We're fine. I didn't ask you to tell me more about Emily when I found your song so it's not any of your business who I'm writing songs about.” Julie had that tilt to her chin that said she was serious and going to be stubborn. Usually he would find that cute but right now he was trying to have a conversation for the sake of the band. None of this should have been an issue in his eyes. It was awkward, yea but they'd gotten through worse. 

“No, you didn't ask me about Emily. Instead you showed up to my house and gave her the lyrics I wrote. I appreciated it after the fact but yea you definitely got involved in my songs before. I just want to hear this one when you get a chance. I don't think that's really asking too much.” He hadn't meant for this to turn into an argument but this just seemed hypocritical to him. He knew they were friends before anything else and just thought they should be able to talk about whatever was bothering them. 

“You're right, I did get involved in your songs before. It won't happen again.” Julie turned and walked out of the studio to meet her dad. Luke knew he could follow her and still talk to her but decided to give her time to cool off and just meet her at the show. 

He popped over to the venue to meet the guys and saw the look they shared between them. They had all been around each other enough to where they all knew the looks they sent between themselves. This one said 'uh-oh something went down and this could be bad'. Luke rolled his eyes and turned the conversation to the set list, the crowd, the venue or literally anything else besides the issue at hand. 

Once Julie got there, the concert went as planned but the chemistry wasn't flowing between them like it usually did. He hated that he had messed that up by pushing but he just wanted her to talk to him and share her music with him. While it was a good performance, it was nowhere near their best. When they were done, the band took their bows and poofed back to the studio. 

“So what was that?” Alex asked. He was definitely the more observant of the two band mates so there wasn't really a chance that he had missed the tension. 

“I think I ticked Julie off. Guess I got too personal or something? Who knows.” Luke sighed and plopped onto the couch. “It didn't seem like a big deal. I asked her about a song and she got all defensive and told me to butt out.” 

Alex and Reggie shared another of those looks that said more than words would have. Alex shook his head and left him with the advice of talk to her but don't push before he took off to see Willie. Reggie just agreed and then left to do whatever it was Reggie did when he wasn't around them. Follow around Julie's dad maybe? 

After another deep sigh, Luke hauled himself off the couch and picked up his guitar. He found himself tinkering with a guitar part to the melody Julie had played on the piano. Unfinished songs drove him crazy and for all he knew this one was finished and just as amazing as the rest of her songs. If she would just share it with him, they could work through whatever. 

While he was playing and thinking, he lost track of time like he was now prone to do since time didn't really hold a lot of meaning to him any more. That meant that he was still strumming on his guitar to the snippet of song that Julie had played when she walked back in. After a show, she was always an odd mixture of elated and exhausted. Right now, she was leaning more towards exhausted and laid herself out on the couch. 

“Really? You're not going to drop it, are you?” She didn't sound mad any more, just resigned. Luke took that as a sign that it was safe to approach her so he knelt down on the ground beside the couch. 

“Sorry.” He actually did mean it too. He didn't want her to stay upset at him but he really wanted to hear that song. She turned to look him in the eyes to see whether he meant it. Whatever she saw was evidently enough to convince her. 

“Fine. Move and I'll play it.” She sat up and gently pushed his shoulder to knock him back a little. At least she was back to touching him so that was an improvement. She went to sit at the piano and he sat with her. She glanced shyly in his direction and started to play. 

Step into my world,  
bittersweet love story about a girl.  
Shook me to the core,  
Voice like an angel I've never heard before.

As she continued, he started to see why she hesitated to share the song. It was one of the more personal songs that they had sang, excluding Unsaid Emily. When she was done, he was staring in awe at her talent and how sincere the lyrics she sang had been. If he was being honest with himself, there was also a healthy dose of jealousy and longing thrown into the emotions those lyrics stirred but primarily he was just stunned by the talent this beautiful girl had. 

When she finally brought herself to meet his eyes again, he smiled to let her know he had enjoyed the song. She shook her head ruefully. “You really don't get it, do you?”

His eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Get what?”

She gave a half laugh of disbelief. “This song is about, how did you phrase it? 'This strange little relationship we have' I believe was the phrase. I imagined this song while dancing with Nick. Wishing the whole time that I was dancing with you, singing with you, being with you.” 

He caught himself staring open mouthed as she said all of this but as he processed it, a slow smile spread across his face. “I was right though. It is a killer song. I bet it would make for a great duet.”

She grinned at that with a blush spreading on her cheeks. “That was how I imagined it, yea.”

He leaned his forehead against hers as they both smiled and let themselves feel a moment of relief that they each felt the same way. They both knew that there were obstacles, possibly insurmountable ones, but for a moment they let themselves be happy. When they both opened their eyes and met the others, that chemistry that they shared during their performances came rushing back. 

Luke raised his hand to bring it to her cheek and leaned back. “Can I... can I kiss you?”

Instead of answering, Julie leaned forward and let their lips briefly touch. She leaned back and met his eyes again before they both leaned towards the other. All of the feelings they had been holding back swelled over them and they put all of that intensity into their next kiss. When they finally pulled back, they were both breathing hard but grinning. Luke brought their foreheads back together and they closed their eyes, just enjoying this one moment of happiness before the rest of the world rushed back in. He felt her hand reach for his and twined their fingers together. 

When they leaned back away from each other on the bench still smiling and hands still clasped, the two remaining band mates chose that moment to pop back in. Reggie and Alex looked between the two of them then at each other. Alex pumped his fist in the air and Reggie groaned. 

“What is that all about?” Luke asked laughing. 

“We had a bet as to when you two would figure it out. Reggie thought it would take another week. I win!” Alex pumped his fist again and Reggie mock glared at all of them. 

“Great, thanks guys. Well now that we're all here, we have a new song to learn. Julie, care to share with everyone?” They shared one last smile before Luke got up and grabbed his guitar. He couldn't wait to see where this went but in the mean time he and his band had a new song to learn. He just couldn't wait to finally perform it on stage with Julie knowing what it meant to them. Maybe the afterlife wouldn't be so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically I just want Luke to know that song and I want them to somehow live happily ever after. 
> 
> I'm kind of obsessed with this show out of nowhere.


End file.
